Air charger



Aug. 3, 1954 J. F. CLE'ARMAN 2,685,297

AIR CHARGER Filed Aug. 9, 1952 Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UNITED STATES FTENT QFFICE AIR CHARGER Jack F. Clearman, Muncie, Ind.

Application August 9, 1952, Serial No. 303,54?

9 Claims. l

This invention relates to liquid pressure systems of the type embodying a pump for delivering liquid from a source of supply to a pressure tank from which it is distributed under air pressure, and in particular to an air charger for feeding air thereto, such as in a water supply system, reference being had to my application filed December i9, 1950, Serial No. 201,614, entitled Air Charger.

It is the object of this invention to provide an auxiliary tank which may be separate from or built into a liquid storage tank, said tanks being interconnected by air suction conduits of a character to draw air therein as the liquid flows from one tank to the other, said tanks being interconnected at a predetermined level of the storage tank, depending upon the amount of air cushion and pressure desired. Thus, as the liquid in the storage tank rises above the connection, the pressure built up therein will force the liquid through one valve controlled passage to the auxiliary tank resulting in air being drawn into the liquid during its passage thereto. As liquid in the storage tank drops below the connection, the liquid will be caused to ow from the auxiliary tank to the storage tank and during its passage thereto will also draw air therein. Thus,

v air is drawn into the system through the medium of a partial vacuum created through the iiow of liquid both to and from the auxiliary tank.

A feature of the invention resides in a poppet valve normally closed in the direction of liquid iiow between the tanks, but which will open upon a predetermined pressure being exerted thereon. By means or this arrangement passage of liquid between the tanks will be partially permitted only upon a substantial differential pressure being established therebetween. This will increase and make more positive the suction oi air into the liquid flow as it passes under high velocity between the tanks due to the controlled high dierential pressure therebetween.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims.

The iigure is a section taken through the storage and auxiliary tanks and the valve controlled mechanism therebetween.

in the drawing there is shown a liquid storage tank l@ having an intake Il and discharge outlet I2 at the lower portion thereof. Liquid, such as water, indicated at I3, is delivered through the inlet ll to the tank It by a suitable pressure controlled pump connected with a liquid source in the usual manner. The discharge outlet l2 2 is connected with a liquid or water system for receiving its supply from the tank. The tank is sealed at the top for providing an air cushion above the liquid level therein, the air being corupressed upon the liquid level rising under pressure of the pump. In the normal water system the air pressure is maintained at between apn proximately twenty to forty pounds, the pump being cut into operation at vthe lower pressure and cut out of operation at the higher pressure.

Suitably spaced from the top oi the tank there is a fitting id through which the auxiliary air controlled tank it is connected therewith. The positioning of this iitting and connection is such as to maintain the desired air cushion thereabove, permitting the liquid to rise above the fitting at maximum pressure and drop below the tting at minimum pressure. The auxiliary tank l5 is sealed and may be of any form and separate from the storage tank or may be housed within the storage tank above the top thereof, as disclosed in the above-mentioned application for Letters Patent. The bottom of the auxilitary tank i5 is provided with a iitting it, the fittings It and le being connected by an air charger connection, generaliy indicated at Il. Said air charger connection includes therein a pair or" conduits i8 and i9, the conduit i3 being arranged to permit now of liquid only from the storage tank to the auxiliary tank, and the conduit i9 being arranged to permit 'the flow oi liquid only from the auxiliary tank to the storage tank.

In each of said conduits i8 and i9 there is mounted a Venturi tube 20 and 2i, respectively. In the conduit It there is a ported stop block 22 having a series of ports 23. Between the stop block and the `adjacent end of the venturi 2t there is a ball valve 2d which noats in the conn duit for seating in the port of the venturi to prevent liquid from passing from the auxiliary tank to the storage tank, it being unseated to permit liquid to flow in the opposite direction, from the storage tank to the auxiliary tank, In the conduit it there is similarly provided a ball valve 25 which floats adjacent one end of the Venturi tube 2i for seating in its port, to permit liquid to pass from the auxiliary tank to the storage tank, but prevent it passing in the opposite direction. For this purpose the Venturi tubes 2t and 2l are arranged. Communicating with the venturi 2t there is a snifter or air check valve 2t suitably mounted on the air charger connection for admitting air into the restricted or throat portion oi the venturi, as indicated at 21. Said valve is secured to a radially-extending boss portion 28 of the connection and is shown herein in the form of a rubber ball which expands to allow air to pass through in one direction but seals itself to prevent air passing therethrough in the opposite direction. The venturi 2l is similarly provided with a snifter or air check valve 29 connected with its restricted throat portion.

Within the air charger connection ll and adjacent the storage tank it there is a valve chamber 30 which contains a ball valve 3|. One end of the chamber is closed by a ported stop block 32 having a series of ports 33. The other end or" the chamber is provided with a stop projection 34 for preventing the valve 3l from shutting ofi the iiow of liquid through either of the conduits i8, I9. Intermediate the opposite ends of the valve chamber 30 there is a yielding or compressible rubber valve seat ring Je mounted in the connection il and protruding in the chamber 30 only suiliciently to provide a valve seat for the ball valve 3l in either direction, while permitting it to pass therethrough under sufficient pressure. The valve chamber on either side of the ring 35 is of sufficient length to permit freedom of play by the ball valve 3l.

In operation, and assuming that the liquid level is at its maximum height above the iitting I4, under maximum pressure, such pressure will have forced liquid through the air charger connection Il' into the auxiliary tank to such level therein against its air cushion that the pressures in both tanks are equalized and under equilibrium. Due to the passage of liquid under such built up pressure from the storage to the auxiliary tank, the ball valve 3i will have been forced thereby through its seating ring 35 to lie in the position indicated in dotted lines. Upon liquid then being drawn from the storage tank pressure therein will decrease below that of the auxiliary tank which will cause liquid to flow from the latter tank through the conduit le and Venturi 2| into the valve chamber 3e, forcing the ball valve 3| (dotted line) into seating engagement with the valve seat ring 35. rThus the bail valve 3| will prevent liquid from owing from the auxiliary tank to the storage tank due to the slight differential pressure therebetween.

Upon further withdrawal of liquid from the storage tank until thepressure therein is reduced relative to that in the auxiliary tank so that there will be a predetermined high diierential therebetween, the ball valve 3l will be forced from its dotted line position to its full line position, due to the increased pressure, by squeezing it through the ring 35. This will open up the air charger connection to permit a rush of liquid under substantially predetermined differential pressure through the condiut le and Venturi tube 2l. A substantially partial vacuum will thus be created at the restricted or throat portion of the Venturi tube sufficient to draw air into the liquid passing therethrough, through the shifter valve 29. This action will continue until the pressures in the two tanks will again be equalized, during which time the auxiliary tank may be emptied of liquid and air therefrom passed into the storage tank for replenishment of the air cushion therein.

When the minimum pressure in the storage tank has been reached, the pump will cut in and liquid will be pumped into the storage tank, raising the liquid level above the fitting i4 and increasing the pressure therein above that in the auxiliary tank, whereupon the ball valve 3l will seat in the ring 35 to prevent liquid from being forced into the auxiliary tank until a predetermined high pressure is established in the storage tank. Thereupon the ball valve will be forced through the ring 35 from its full line position to its dotted line position, and due to the substantial pressure differential then existing, liquid wll rush through the Venturi tube 2i) to equalize the pressure between the two tanks, and thereby draw air into the Venturi tube through the shifter valve 26, introducing additional air into the auxiliary tank to be later red back for replenishment of the storage tank.

Frein above it will be observed that through the dual opposed jets or Venturi tubes, air is added as the liquid flows in either direction between the tanks, the air suction for drawing the air therein being substantially increased through the poppet valve 3l which prevents iiow in one or the other direction until suiiicient diierential pressure develops between the tanks such as to develop and maintain a high velocity of ow through the Venturi tubes. The critical differential pressure for actuating the poppet ball valve may be determined through the structure of the valve seat ring 35 as by .suitable dimensions, compressibility thereof, or both.

The invention claimed is:

l.. en air charger for an air liquid pressure system including a liquid storage tank and an auxiliary pressure tank, a connection between said tanks including separate passages, each having a Venturi tube restricted portion, air admitting check valves communicating with said restricted portions respectively, and vaive members associated with each passage to prevent the liquid iiovf through one passage in one direction and through the other passage in the opposite direction, said members permitting flow in reverse directions.

2. An air charger for an air liquid pressure system including a liquid storage tank and an auxiiiary pressure tank, a connection between said tanks including separate passages, each having a Venturi tube restricted portion, air admitting check valves communicating with said restricted portions respectively, valve members associated with each passage to prevent the liquid iiow through one passage in one direction and through the other passage in the opposite direction, said members permitting ow in reverse directions, and a pressure actuated poppet valve means in said connection normally closed by the liquid new in either direction and opened to permit now therethrough under a predetermined pressure.

3. An air charger `for an air-liquid pressure system including a iiquid storage tank and an auxiliary pressure tank, a connection between said tanks including separate passages, a Venturi tube mounted in one passage for creating a partial vacuum at its restricted portion by flow in one direction, a Venturi tube in the other passage for creating a partial vacuum at its restricted portion through flow in the opposite direction, a check valve associated with each passage for permitting ow through the respective Venturi tubes in a direction to create a partial vacuum therein, and an air admitting check valve communicating with the atmosphere and the restricted portions of said Venturi tubes, respectively.

4. An air charger for an air-liquid pressure system including a liquid storage tank and an auxiliary pressure tank, a connection between said tanks including separate passages, a Venturi tube mounted in one passage creating a partial vacuum at its resticted portion by flow in one direction, a Venturi tube in the other passage for creating a partial vacuum at its restricted portion through flow in the opposite direction, a check valve associated with each passage for permitting flow through the respective Venturi tubes in a direction to create a partial vacuum therein, an air admitting check valve communicating with the atmosphere and the restricted portions of said Venturi tubes respectively, and a pressure actuating poppet valve means in said connection normally closed by the liquid flow in either direction and opened to permit now therethrough under predetermined pressure.

5. An air charger for an air liquid pressure system including a liquid storage tank and an auxiliary pressure tank, a connection between the bottom of said auxiliary tank and the upper portion of said storage tank at a level to permit the liquid therein to rise against an air cushion above said connection under maximum pressure and fall below said connection under minimum pressure, said connection including separate passages, a Venturi tube in one passage positioned therein to create a partial vacuum at its restricted portion upon liquid flowing therethrough in one direction, a Venturi tube in the other passage positioned therein to create a partial vacuum at its restricted portion upon liquid ilowing therethrough in the opposite direction, an air admitting check valve communicating with the restricted portion of each of said Venturi tubes, and valve means for permitting liquid now through said tubes respectively in a direction to create a partial vacuum at their restricted portions and prevent flow in the other direction.

6. An air charger for an air-liquid pressure system including a liquid storage tank and an auxiliary pressure tank, a connection between the bottom of said auxiliary tank and the upper p0rtion of said storage tank at a level to permit the liquid therein to rise against an air cushion above said connection under maximum pressure and fall below said connection under minimum pressure, said connection including separate passages, a Venturi tube in one passage positioned therein to create a partial vacuum at its restricted portion upon liquid flowing therethrough in one direction, a Venturi tube in the other passage positioned therein to create a partial vacuum at its restricted portion upon liquid flowing therethrough in the opposite direction, an air admiting check valve communicating with the restricted portion of each of said Venturi tubes, valve means for permitting liquid flow through said tubes respectively in a direction to create a partial vacuum at their restricted portions and prevent flow in the other direction, and a pressure actuated valve means in said connection adjacent said storage tank normally closed by the liquid now therethrough in either direction and opened to permit flow therethrough under predetermined liquid pressure.

7. An air charger for an air-liquid pressure system including a liquid storage tank and an auxiliary pressure tank, a connection between said tanks including separate passages, each having a Venturi tube restricted portion, an air admitting check valve communicating with said restricted portions respectively, valve members associated with each passage to prevent the liquid flow through one passage in one direction and through the other passage in the opposite direction, said members permitting flow in reverse direction, a valve chamber interposed between said passages and one of said tanks, a compressible valve seat ring intermediate the ends of said valve chamber, and a ball valve freely movable in said chamber on opposite sides of said ring movable under liquid pressure in either direction to seat said ring for closing said connection and adapted to be forced past said ring under predetermined increased liquid pressure for freeing it thereof and opening said chamber to the passage of liquid therethrough.

8. An air charger for an air-liquid pressure system including a liquid storage tank and an auxiliary pressure tank, a connection between the bottom of said auxiliary tank and the upper portion of said storage tank at a level to permit the liquid therein to rise against an air cushion above said connection under maximum pressure and fall below said connection under minimum pressure, said connection including separate passages, a Venturi tube in one passage positioned therein to create a partial vacuum at its restricted portion upon liquid flowing therethrough in one direction, a Venturi tube in the other passage positioned therein to create a partial vacuum at its restricted portion upon liquid flowing therethrough in the opposite direction, an air admitting check valve communicating with the restricted portion of each of said Venturi tubes, valve means for permitting liquid flow through said tubes respectively in a direction to create a partial vacuum at their restricted portions and prevent flow in the other direction, a valve chamber interposed between said passages and one of said tanks, a compressible valve seat ring intermediate the ends of said valve chamber, and a ball valve in said chamber freely movable in either direction to seat on said ring for closing said connection, and adapted to be forced past said ring under predetermined increased liquid pressure for freeing it thereof and opening said chamber to l the passage of liquid therethrough.

9. An air charger comprising a chamber having a plurality of separate liquid flow passages therein, each passage having a Venturi tube restricted portion, a uid admitting check valve communieating with said restricted portions respectively, a valve member associated with each passage to prevent the liquid flow therethrough in one direction and permit flow in the opposite direction, and a pressure actuated poppet valve means in said chamber normally closed by the liquid flow in either direction and opened to permit flow therethrough under a predetermined pressure. 

